Anticipating more moss, I circle the house and am pleased to find the hellebores growing vigorously. Whatever prompted me to invest in three of these plants fifteen years ago, I know now it was as smart as anything I've done (yardwise, at least).Forty dollars for three was a lot to pay back ...
On July 3, my father-in-law passed away while on a trip in South America. He was a longtime resident of Steuben County and a veteran. One bit of "neighborly wisdom" I've often heard is, if you have a death in the family overseas, call your representative in Congress.Tom Reed boasts about his ...
Now that Ted Cruz has cast aside his disdain for Donald Trump (because he can't support Hillary Clinton), it appears the world of the conservatives has turned upside down.The price of integrity in politics is obviously not as high as one may have thought, and it's more evident than ever that ...
"I don't see color.".. "Then you don't see me."It's time to get real America. We can't keep pretending like we don't have a problem. Like any cancer, the cancer of racism must be eradicated at its very core.Yet in this nation, we seem to take our yearly dose of feel-good chemo and slip back ...
The calendar indicates that fall has now began. I so cherish the autumn season. It is the season that I reminisce about this time of the year.A dairy and vegetable farm in this rural region was the setting. A colorful autumn season was the timeframe back during the Depression years of the ...
During this period of need to hold level or reduce governmental expenditures, the Chautauqua County Legislature is being faced with adding a significant cost program.It is proposed that the county enter into the provision of Emergency Medical Fly Car Services throughout the county. The fly cars ...
Last month I read a story about a 7-year-old boy from the Cincinnati area who was trying to sell a stuffed animal so he could buy food since he hadn't had anything to eat in days.It broke my heart.A child should never be hungry. They did not ask to be born. Parents should be more responsible ...
Combined, Dunkirk and Fredonia school and municipal budgets total more than $105 million. In all that cash, however, no funding can be found for school resource officers.What a shame.While the situations in the village and city are not the same, they do involve some head scratching. Dunkirk ...
Twenty years ago - 1996U.S. Coast Guard officials suspect a distress call from a 14-foot vessel allegedly taking on water on Lake Erie off of Silver Creek to be a hoax. The search for the distressed vessel has been called off. "It's like people who call false alarms out for the fire department ...
The Buffalo Billion project was supposed to bring a much needed boost to the economy here in Western New York. While the bulk of the money is to be spent in and around the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area, projects such as the Athenex drug research facility in Dunkirk might actually help Chautauqua ...
It was an exciting weekend! All that fuss over bombing New York City. It's amazing how quickly they got it under control and even found the perpetrator! Everyone has to be on their guard! I didn't hear of any big exodus out of the city. Those people are gutsy!I remember when we were in the wig ...
For several months now I have read with increasing dismay the events unfolding in the picturesque village of Westfield. A sincere and heartfelt attachment to my hometown, to the people and the community has always been a cornerstone of my life. However, regarding the raging controversy over the ...
Is government getting too big? I think it is. Ever since the "progressive" administration of Theodore Roosevelt in the early 20th century a mindset has developed that government knows best what is best for citizens.Back then Roosevelt recognized there were serious issues having to do with food ...
Displaying an agreeability I always knew she had to have, Gloria comes to sit beside me on my kneeling (let's call it what it is: my SITTING) pad, pleasing me even further as she retains a pleasant silence, leaving me to stew in my thoughts as I weed. She has no objection to my scrunching the ...
My most recent article briefly referenced a plea from Pope Francis for youth to "get off the couch" and put away tech toys. He urged youth to get involved in their communities. School-aged children have returned to their formal studies. I'm remembering a discussion with a friend, a former ...
The debate over Muslim immigration and terrorism highlights the yawning gap between the American people and the political elite.This past weekend, it appears that a Muslim immigrant, citing Islam, set off bombs in the New York metropolitan area. On the morning of Sept. 17, one of the pipe bomb ...
There was an article in the OBSERVER by Seth Borenstein some time ago. He reported that the scientific community has released a new study saying they now believe there may be 300 sextillion stars in the universe. That's three times what they had previously believed. Isn't it comforting to see ...
Twenty years ago - 1996Working for legislative change for farming and agriculture as part of the Villenova Grange 604 has long been an important part of Jared and Martha Woolley's lives. The Woolleys' family dairy farm, which is also home to nearly 25 sheep, originated back in 1845 with Jared's ...
Editor's note: This is the third of three parts.I'll close this series with one more option and then some musings.Sixth Option: Clinton wins and carries with her Democratic majorities in both the Senate and the House.Were this to happen, Bernie Sanders would feel vindicated, for the political ...
Well folks, it's happened. Stupidity has prevailed again, this time in New York City.The cab drivers there don't have to learn English. That's right, you heard me right and read it correctly.The cab drivers in New York City don't have to learn English. I had to repeat this because it is so ...